


and baby I'll rule

by wholockedpsycho7



Series: The Penny Drops [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Cleopatra - Freeform, Episode: s02e04 The Girl in the Fireplace, F/M, fic from a quote, the Penny Drops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-08
Updated: 2014-10-08
Packaged: 2018-02-20 08:27:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2421896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wholockedpsycho7/pseuds/wholockedpsycho7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When River heard that a strange blue box had suddenly appeared on the floor below her chambers-fine, Cleopatra's chambers- she immediately sent for the man she had captured. It was him, had to be him, and maybe now she could finally give him the painting that had her worried.</p><p>She adjusted her wig, checking to make sure she still looked like the Egyptian queen. He always did love it when they dressed up and pretended to be various monarchs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	and baby I'll rule

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, this has been taken out of the Penny Drops, because it's easier to have multiple fics on here than one huge one with one-shots. Apologies if you've already read it.

The Doctor frowned and glared at the TARDIS's scanner like it was her fault. Which, it wasn't.

Rose had been traveling with him a while now, though he'd just regenerated and he wasn't completely sure she trusted him. She'd went to bed almost has soon as their little adventure with the robots in that Paris restaurant, insisting that she needed sleep.

And now he was bored.

Normally, he'd be off somewhere having an adventure alone when his companion was asleep. But he couldn't think of anywhere he wanted to go that would give him the adrenaline he needed.

So, he turned on the randomizer.

Was that a smart choice? Well, he didn't know. Generally it was. The TARDIS seemed to know what she was doing. . . most of the time.

He checked the scanner after the _vworp vworp_ had quieted.

"30 BC. Earth. Hm." He said aloud.

The year rang a bell in his head, but he couldn't remember what. Might as well find out.

He sprinted to the doors, excitement already running through his new body, and flung open the doors.

To face several men with spears pointed at him.

"Bad time? Should I come back later?" He tried weakly, putting his hands up in surrender.

\--------

When River heard that a strange blue box had suddenly appeared on the floor below her chambers-fine, Cleopatra's chambers- she immediately sent for the man she had captured. It was him, had to be him, and maybe now she could finally give him the painting that had her worried.

She adjusted her wig, checking to make sure she still looked like the Egyptian queen. He always did love it when they dressed up and pretended to be various monarchs.

She even considered taking off a few articles of clothing, but it could've been a younger version. So, she resigned to a different one, one she was going to wear when she went to that Roman camp later in the week. That was where she'd left the coordinates. Why he'd came here instead, she had no idea.

There was a knock on the door, probably a servant.

"Come in, dear." She said loudly, adding a touch more of the dark makeup that would make her complexion a little more convincing as an Egyptian.

A girl entered the room, head bowed in respect. "Your majesty, would you like to see the stranger now?"

"I would. Send him in."

"In your bedchambers, my queen?"

River raised an eyebrow. Right. "Yes."

The servant curtsied and left the room quietly.

River had to admit, she enjoyed acting more than she'd care to confess.

\--------

The Doctor's face had a pretty convincing glare on, he thought. He was trying, anyway. The scowl he now wore wasn't something well-practiced, since it'd only been a week in the new body.

"Get up. The queen wishes to see you." A large man said, motioning with his hand.

"Right. The queen." The Doctor's mind raced as he scrambled to stand up. "Which one, exactly?"

\---------

There was another knock on the door a minute later, and she grinned, fluffing the dark wig once more. "Come in!"

A servant came in first, glancing behind him as _he_ walked in.

She grinned at the version of her husband she'd once had a picnic at Asgard with. "Hello _sweetie."_ She purred, looking him up and down unabashedly.

He scratched the back of his neck and glanced at the two servants. "Erm, look, I'm really sorry I landed in your palace, my queen. It was an accident."

River raised an eyebrow. Someone didn't recognize her. She could see why, too. This man was young, very young. Probably just regenerated into his 10th-well, technically 11th, if you considered Mr. Grumpy face- body. There was no way he'd met her before, and she had doubts this was supposed to be the first time.

"Leave us." She commanded, not being able to help the smirk from spreading across her face as the Doctor squirmed uncomfortably under her scrutiny. This would be fun.

Once the servants left, she turned away from him for a moment and poured two glasses of wine. "So, you showed up in my palace in a blue box that suddenly appeared in the air?"

She picked the two glasses up and offered him one. He took it, eyeing her warily. "Yes, I did."

"Yes, _my queen."_ She corrected, smirking again biting back a laugh as his face contorted in annoyance.

"Yes, _my queen."_ He gritted out.

"So, witchcraft?" She took a sip of her wine. "Or a trick of the eye?"

He took a sip of his own wine, though he stuck his tongue out immediately and sat the glass down.

Some things don't change.

"Neither."

Ah, and there it was. River once again brought the glass to her lips. She knew that voice well. It was his voice for when he felt superior to someone, usually in knowledge. On his worst days, in rank in the universe.

"Really?" She did her best not to sound amused.

"You wouldn't understand. Very complicated." And there was the smirk.

"Not the correct way to address a queen, sir." At his silence and the superior look on his face, she couldn't help but continue, "Especially since I think I do understand."

Oh, that look. Wiping it off his face always was such fun.

"You think you do, eh?"

River nodded, quite ready for that smugness he had to leave. "Yes. See, I think that's a ship." He arched an eyebrow, and she continued, "A ship that usually travels by dematerialising in one spot, traversing the time vortex, and then rematerialising at her destination, without physically travelling through the intervening space. Of course," She said, relishing the shock blooming on his face, "I do believe she could fly physically through air if necessary."

And there was the full on scowl from her stealing his thunder.

"Who are you?" It was phrased like a question, but sounded a lot more like a demand.

She stepped closer, going around him from behind. Then she slowly rose her mouth to his ear. "I'm Cleopatra, darling. And you are way out of your league."

She grinned at the shudder he couldn't repress, as she leaned back and went back to the table to refill her wine glass.

He was still for a moment, just standing there, but she sensed him move closer as she fixed the bottle. "Nothing is out of my league."

She gave an un-queen like snort. "I'm sure."

"I've met Cleopatra before." He said from a few feet behind her. "And she didn't look like you very much. Besides the hair, which is a wig, and the curves."

She turned around to face him. "Are you calling me sexy?"

Even while he was angry, the blush that spread across his cheeks was unmistakable. "Not what I meant."

"Mhm." She murmured, admiring his suit. It really did show off how tall he was.

"You know me." He guessed.

She smirked, deciding to make him squirm again and walking in a circle around him. "Do I?"

"There aren't many people in the world, even the universe that knows that little piece of information. So, you've got to be a traveler, a time traveler, maybe a time agent. My guess is that you're here while Cleopatra's away, and you wanted a taste of royal life from Egypt." He scoffed. "You would. 51st century agents are selfish beyond belief. Never met one who wasn't."

She inched a little closer to him as she took him in. "That include Jack?"

He was either surprised by the information or felt her breath on the back of his neck, because he let out a barely audible gasp. Maybe both.

"You know him?"

"I know a lot of people." She answered honestly, running a hand down his arm and putting her mouth by his cheek.

"Did you, by any chance, take Cleopatra's perfume?"

She couldn't hold her chuckle in this time. Leave it to him to completely lose train of thought by the way she smelled. "No. This is mine."

"Well, I- it's nice. Sorry." He shook his head, as if to clear his mind of her scented bare shoulder beside his nose.

"Do you want to dine with me? Private quarters."

She heard him inhale slightly. "I think I'd like that, Cleo."

\---------

Later, he leans in to kiss her, and she has no choice but to comply.

He slumps down on the floor immediately, with her arms catching him so he doesn't bump his head.

She has her servants carry him next to his blue box, and then she pulls him gently inside and tells the TARDIS to bring him to the vortex once she leaves.

Before it disappears, she presses a kiss to the blue wood in thanks and backs away.

\--------

She travels to the Roman camp right before Cleopatra gets back. Unfortunately, as soon as the real queen did, she would poison herself in her chambers. Not because of River, but because she'd found out that- well, that was another story.

\--------

"Have you ever been to Egypt, Doctor?" Mickey asks when they reach the subject of pyramids.

"Oh, yeah. Saw Cleo. _That_ was a fun night." His expression changed slightly, as if he was trying to reach a memory that wasn't quite there.


End file.
